A. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns an electrical connector for interconnecting a plurality of electrical conductors. More particularly, the invention concerns an electrical connector for easily and securely connecting one electrical conductor such as wire or cable to another electrical conductor in the form of a flat or curved plate having a relatively large surface area when compared with its cross section.
B. History of the Prior Art
Prior art methods for connecting an electrical conductor such as a wire to another electrical conductor include soldering or welding the electrical conductors to one another or by securing the conductors together by means of various kinds of fasteners.
Welding or soldering electrical conductors together has certain disadvantages, in particular, forming a welded or soldered connection requires that high temperature be applied to the conductors in order to melt a metallic substance around the conductors. Particularly high temperatures are required when the conductors are welded together rather than soldered and welding is frequently required since soldering is suitable only when particular metals, such as copper, are used for the electrical conductors. In addition, welding and soldering often require that the electrical conductors be metal conductors and welding and soldering is usually not suitable for connecting non-metallic conductors.
Prior art fasteners for connecting electrical conductors are numerous. Examples of such fasteners are connecting nuts for twisting electrical wires together, screw type terminal posts and alligator clips. None of these prior art fasteners are, however, suitable for securely and rapidly forming an electrical connection with a conductor having a large surface area and a relatively small cross sectional area particularly where the conductor is brittle and non-metallic.
There is provided in the prior art an electrical connector which can be slipped over an electrical conductor having a large surface area relative to its cross sectional area; however, the connector is designed for conductors having only specific dimensions since the connector grips the edges of the conductor. In addition, such a prior art connector is not easily adapted for use with a brittle non-metallic electrical conductor since gripping the edges of such a conductor tends to cause the edges to crack.